Middle Schoolers Only Explore Nishinomiya’s Morning Drama Location Koshien Kaikan Free Applications Until 3/25

“Wait, open campus events start from junior high school!?”

This time, Mukogawa Women’s University Kamikoshien Campus is hosting an open campus event on Saturday, March 28 exclusively for junior high school students and their parents/guardians, as well as teachers.

Here it is↓

Limited to the first 40 people, and participation is free. Doesn’t it sound really interesting to get hands-on with authentic “architecture”?

Last year, many junior high school students joined, and the event received lots of positive feedback in the survey〜! This year’s spots will probably fill up quickly too, so if you’re interested, apply soon〜

Explore Koshien Kaikan, a filming location for “Manpuku”

Mukogawa Women’s University’s School of Architecture might be less well known than you’d expect.

With features like spacious drafting areas and fully equipped computers, current students often say “the facilities are amazing.” For parents, it’s also a chance to ask students and teachers directly about “what working in architecture is like.” It’s a pretty rare opportunity for junior high school students to experience the atmosphere of a university〜.

Koshien Kaikan (former Koshien Hotel) Tour

Koshien Kaikan (former Koshien Hotel) was used as a filming location for the morning drama “Manpuku.” Did you know that for fans who visit works by Arata Endo, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the three great masters of modern architecture, it’s almost like a “sacred site”?

Originally built in the early Showa period as the “Koshien Hotel,” this building has a grand, weighty presence. The moment you see it, it has that retro impact that makes you go, “Whoa!” It’s the kind of building that makes you say “Wow!” Did you know it was in Nishinomiya〜?

Schedule for the day↓

📍 13:00 Opening and general explanation
🔨 13:10 Form-making exercise “Creating a Large Roof with Hinoki Sticks”※Supported by students from the School of Architecture!
☕ 14:20 Break (a short breather♪)
🏛️ 14:35 Campus tour (tour the Showa-retro Koshien Kaikan and the latest architecture studios)
📝 15:45 Survey
👋 16:00 Closing

Here it is on the map↓

The address is 1-13 Tozakicho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.

Access is about a 10-minute walk from JR Koshienguchi Station! From Hanshin Koshien Station, it’s about 6 minutes by bus plus a 3-minute walk. For Nishinomiya residents, it’s an easy place to get to. If you’re using JR, it’s convenient from other areas too〜

※If there are many participants, the event will be held in two groups

Applications are open until Wednesday, March 25!

Registration will close once the 40-person capacity is reached〜. If there’s a junior high school student who feels “maybe I’m a little interested?”, please give them a little push. Male students can join too. You can even go with friends〜.

Click here for the participation application form

After applying, you’ll receive details for the day by email〜.

To sum up the key points

1. A special experience just for junior high school students
   Open campus events for high school students and older are common, but one centered on “junior high school students only” is rare!
2. Form-making workshop: Creating a Large Roof with Hinoki Sticks
   Students from the School of Architecture will support participants as they get to experience actual hands-on making. You can also see classrooms with a design that’s rare even nationwide〜
3. Tour the historic Showa-era architectural masterpiece “Koshien Hotel (Koshien Kaikan)”
   An incredibly valuable building designed by Arata Endo, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a filming location for the morning drama “Manpuku,” and it’s also designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan… architecture fans won’t want to miss it
4. Male students can participate too
   Since Mukogawa Women’s University is a women’s university, you might think “boys can’t join, right?” But junior high school students can participate regardless of gender. Joining with friends is OK too!

For junior high school students, getting to tour the truly impressive Koshien Hotel is sure to be an inspiring experience. Personally, I’d love to see it at least once too

Finally

The former Koshien Hotel is surprisingly close, but not somewhere you can just enter anytime. This rare experience, open only to junior high school students, might even open up a whole new future path. The application deadline is coming up soon, so once you decide, apply right away〜.